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Show Sunday,June 30, 1996 SE Standard-Examiner Statistics prompt software companiesto cater to girls CO Products urge them to explore, have fun but also prepare them for the future By MICHAEL BURKETT Standard-Examiner staff ait a minute. Computers are and always have been an exclusively male domain, right? So why do young women and girls need their own girls between the ages of 8 and 18 in the United States. > Girls spend over $57 billion of their own money annually. > By the year 2000, an estimated 6 million households with girls in the 8-to-18 age range will also have multimedia personal computers. » Of 3,000 girls polled, 21 percent had bought software in the last month. > Forty-two percentof teen ~ girls regularly use the computer at home, compared to 46 percent of boys. Those surprising numbers were compiled by Girl Games ‘Inc., a new multimedia company that designs interactive entertainment and educational software exclusively for the female market. And they’re pretty well supported by Mike ‘Downs, the floor manager for | Software Plus in Riverdale. “Weget lot of parents in i here looking for software for their daughters, not to mention the daughters themselves,” he _- Says. “The choices of younger _ girls are just aboutlimited to the -* animated storybooks, and the older girls tend to gravitate toma ih prosans at _ concentrate on game play rather _than graphics. Beyond that, there a_isn’t much to direct them to.” As if to prove that point, mentions that one of the ore popular games among his ool-age female customers is "a ROMinteractive rror-mystery designed by a and featuring a female _ hero. However, during the course of the action, the character is actually raped (in a fairly graphic _fashion by computer-game standards) by her own husband. p. waigles # _ And no matter the gory ~ goings-on that unfold around her, oe i eaabtess ' she always has time to stop in _ front of the nearest mirror to _ check her hair and makeup. Not exactly the kind of fernale role model most parents would wish for their child. But Downs doesn’t hear many complaints. BS ” “Because entertainment software has always been geared toward boys, I don’t think people expect it to change. They just ‘seem to accept it and adaptto a.” Laura Groppe, president of Girl Games Interactive, is not in an accept-and-adapt mood. Her New York-based companyis seriously committed to developing products and online and somehow helping to make a difference in a girl's life, even if it just makes her more accepting of technology and computers.” SeisiSiale BIBI The right stuff If Sherman sounds like she’s viewing the future through pink-colored glasses, you’re shortchanging her psychic powers. And you're also not familiar with Her Interactive, another company headquartered in New York that’s bent on developing into a complete multimedia world for young women. By providing entertainment, education, information and a comprehensive online service using state-of-the art technologies, the precise goal of Groppe, explaining lack of products for the female market, “the computer software almost cémpletely dominated by male programmers, designers and producers. But now that many more women have entered the industry, and girls are seen as the biggest spenders in the adolescent market ... watch out!” Each year, according to Groppe’s research, young women spend millions of dollars on entertainment such as teen literary series, movies, music, fashion and magazines. Kids as a whole spent over $89 billion in 1995. There are an estimated 44.4 million multimedia personal computers in homes across America. “Women are buying them at a greater percentage rate than ever before. Even the menin this business are too smart not to take advantage of that,” Groppe adds, laughing. Is pink PC? One of the most well-known Internet Websites for females of all ages is Cybergrrl, described as an “online edutainment studio” by its creator, Aliza Sherman, president of the New York-based Cybergrrl Internet Media. “Cybergrrl”is also the name of a cartoon character Sherman dreamed up to representherself to Web surfers, and whowill soon be starring in her own online comic strip and, if all goes well, her own line of action-adventure games ... “for girls only.” Sherman knows that her efforts are boundto rile the PC crowd. But she doesn’t care. “Hey, my favorite coloris pink!,“ she exclaims. “All mylife, it’s been pink. And once, when I created pink Web pages, I was shocked to have women e-mail me offended by my use ofthat ‘girl’ color. But one person’s idea of whatis good for girls might not be another’s, just as one girl’s idea of fun or interesting software might be different than another’s. I think ‘software for girls’ is a broad term and shouldn’t be looked at as a narrow,limiting product.” One reason Sherman believes in the need for gender-specific software, she says, is that “women and girls tend to have different sensibilities than men and boys. Of course, this isn’t always true — butjust try talking to arcom full or preteen girls. You'll get much different results as to what they wantto see in software and online than if you had a room full of boys.” There are differences, too, whenboth sexes actuallysit down and play, she says. Games From 1E your shopping cart, check the product’s box to make sure that your computer’s specifications match or exceed those of the program. And when you get home, read and follow theinstallation instructions very carefully. There’s not much that dampens kiddie excitement faster than a brand new computer game . that flat-out refuses to pop up on your : monitor. * The following list was compiled from -a variety of sources, including an ‘informal poll of young female “gamers” ‘jocated on the Internet; the suggestions - Of industry professionals; Newsweek's :*Parent’s Guide to Children’s Software -*96,” an invaluable and comprehensive - CD-ROM guide that includesplayable try-before-you-buy demo versions of a ‘few dozen games and programs; and my ‘ own daughter, who played - or : attempted to cons about 20 of them * before narrowing her personal list of '- faves down to three. She’s very picky. CVn Sontemctine < uheree (Mend ” MCKENZIE & CO.Very popular : affect the story’s outcome. (Her : Interactive; Mac and Windows * CD-ROM,$59.95; ages 9 to 15.) : BARBIE FASHION DESIGNER. . This one should hit store shelves any * minute now. Clothes hounds can design : ¢lothes for Barbie right on their * computerscreens . .. and then produce ca @ Co shopping in the Mall HerInteractive (where the ttustration by LARRY STEPHENS/Standard-Examiner Online sites As your daughterstarts spending more time on her computer, she’ll also start spending more timeonline. HerInteractive is leading the waywith its Web site, Her On-line (www.her-online.com). Geared to preteens and teenagegirls,it includes chat rooms wheregirls can talk to their favorite authors and celebrities, electronic bulletin boards for pen pals, games and horoscopes,as well as areas for exploring books, sports and the performing arts. Otheronline sites to check out: » Cybergrri Webstation (http://www.cyberarri.com) offers a complete resourcefor teenagegirls, including stories, fitness advice and links to other good sites.It will soon adda site called GirlZone for “the many stagesofa girl's life.” > FeMinNa(http://www .femina.com) is a comprehensive Web directory for girls and young adults that features listings for a range of topics including art, business, computers, health and politics. The site also invites young girls to really get involved in the online world by offering “links” to Web sites created by other girls — an excellent place . to start an online journey. > WomenSpace (http://www.womenspace.com)offers a variety of girl-friendly resources,including an online pharmacy wheregirls can order personal hygiene products. The site also features frank discussion of teen issues suchas birth control and eating disorders. > GiriGames (http://www.girlgamesinc.com)features Girls InterWire, a monthly oniine newsletter with stories about current events, womenin history andgirls’ issues. “In any gameorplaysetting, boys tend to be aggressors. Girls tend to be more involved with less physical and less aggressive play, they tend to have more patience, use their mind before muscle, tend to want to solve things rather than destroy things. And generally, they like to know characters and details and howit relates to them.It’s been this way for ages — this is not some new phenomenon. Doesit come from social conditioning or genetics? I don’t know for sure, but I'd guessa little of both.” The new world order Sherman agrees that the industry now regardsgirls as “the next great untapped market.” But she also hopes software publishers will go further than reaching outto girls merely to makea sale. “T fully encourage companies to also teach them about technology, support their “hard copies” on a special fabric designed to be fed into printers. (Mattel Inc.; Windows CD-ROM,$30; ages 5 and up.) FISHER-PRICE DREAM DOLL HOUSE. Lets kids explore and manipulate the toys, objects and people in a six-room house. There are lots of engaging clickables, the graphics are clear, and the activities are appealing ... but I’m notentirely sure that putting away groceries on a computerscreenis any more fun than the real McCoy. (Davidson & Associates; — $30; ages 3 to 7.) WHERE IN THE WORLD Is CARMEN SAN DIEGO?She may be a. notorious criminal, but Carmenis also the most famous female software character in kiddieland. Players search for her and otherscofflaws by literally scouring the world for evidence. In addition to the enjoyable hunt for suspects, children can learn little about each place they visit by pressing a “country” button. (Broderbund; Windows and Mac CD-ROM,$50; ages 9 and up.) DISNEY’S ANIMATED STORYBOOK: POCAHONTAS. - (believe it or not) interactive role-playing * game in which girls shopat the mall, go - to school, experiment with makeup and : talk aboutboys. Before you run from the in feminist-era disgust, * room : you should knowthey also have to &* juggle school and work, manage money : and make decisions along the way that Yo. Alt Chances are, your daughter’s favorite heroine of the momentis the Indian-maiden star of the recent Disney movie. The CD-ROMlets kids explore the animated (and, yes, historically inaccurate) version of the Pocahontas story from a variety of angles. They can sit back and listen as Grandmother Willow readsit to them, or they can interact with scenes and characters. (Disney Interactive; Mac and Windows CD-ROM,$40; ages 3 to 9.) THE LION KING ACTIVITY CENTER.Morefirst-rate Disneyana. Girls can track the adventures of Nala the lioness through four exotic locales: the Jungle, where they can play community groups and help provide them with equipment and involve them in the process of creating software and online areas.” Asfor the direction of the products themselves, Sherman is cautiously optimistic. “Smaller, younger companies — as in both new companies and companies run by younger people — tend to want to hold onto the notion of value beyond the entertainment. But big companies tend to lose sight of intrinsic values and wantto churn out the formula. ButI hope they don’t keepit up. This new media industry is really our chance to make a mark on the direction of in-home entertainmentfor years to come. “WhatI’m hopingfor is games, software and Websites that are valuable, entertaining and educational, that bring girls together from around the world — bridging cultures and oceans, Whataboutthe more genteeltypes, whose fondest daydreams do not involve machine guns, flame-throwers and automatic atomic-grenade launchers? matching and spelling games; the Shadowlands, which features a maze, a skeletal xylophone and a concentration game; Rafiki’s tree, where they can tackle art activities, puzzles and more games; and the Magic Pool, where they can watch six short clips from the film. (Disney Interactive; Macintosh and Windows CD-ROM, $40;ages 3 to 9.) CHOP SUEY.Delightful storybook software starring Lily and June Bugg, whose adventures begin with a meal of chop suey and end with talking pickles, dancing monkeys and other whimsical characters. (Magnet Interactive; Windows, $30; ages 5 and up.) KING’S QUESTVII: THE PRINCELESS BRIDE.Thisisthefirst title in the venerableseries to feature a female heroine, as well as thefirst to adopt the animated look and musical style of a Disney cartoon feature. Plus, the princess ofthe title is no namby-pamby; she battles demons and bad guys with the (bloodless) panache of any prince. (Sierra On-Line; Windows CD-ROM, $40; ages 8 and up.) Fun and creativity MY COMPUTERDIARY. Way cool. Your daughter can add graphics and voiceovers to each page ofthis daily journal, or keep track of her schedule in official trademarked mottois “Sure She Can!”) is to inspire girls to explore the wonders and power of computers. The company spent a year surveying thousands ofgirls to find out what would get them to turn their computers on. Of those surveyed, 79 percent said they wanted games madespecifically for girls, and the top elements they would find most fun in a game were cute guys, shopping and dating. “The word we gotfrom girls is that action games are boring,” according to Elise Howard, editorial director of the company’s Website, Her Online. “A storyline, interaction with characters, and a game they can play with friends is most important to them.” The result of the research is a massive five-CD-ROM game called “McKenzie & Co,” an interactive role-playing game where girls mall-hop, date and get dressed up. While parents may be disappointed that the topic for the first game aimed at girls involves nearly every girl-stereotype known to modern humanity, “McKenzie & Co.”is getting the thumbs-up from teenage girls who havetested the software. “Some mothers forget whatit was like when they were 11 or 12,” Howard says in response to negative reaction to the game. “Watchinggirls this age play will remind them thatit’s all about making choices. Thescript is wholesome. The characters are multiethnic; they talk about their aspirations — from the science fair to sports. Just because they go to the mall, does it mean they are aspiring to do less with their lives? Of course not.” Naturally, Howard hopes the success of “McKenzie & Co.” will be repeated by othertitles on HerInteractive’s production horizon. For players 12 and up, the companywill soon be releasing an “interactive drama” based on the bookseries, “The Vampire Diaries,” a combination of horror and romance popular among youngteens. Forthe shop-till-you-drop contingent, there will be “SHOPPING!”Thisis a game the calendar section, or use the built-in word processor, or a whole lot more... andit’s all password-protected from nosy brothers and parents. (Stone and Associates; Windows CD-ROM,$25; ages 7 and up.) MICROSOFT 3D MOVIE MAKER. No,it’s not made specifically for girls . but if your daughter has any desire to become the first female to win an Oscar for best director, here’s a great place for herto start turning her ideas to life as animated 3-D movies. Includes a dozen movie sets, 40 “actors” and lots of props to decorate scenes. Text, sound effects and even dialogue can be added. (Microsoft; Windows 95 CD-ROM, $45; ages 8 and up.) STORYBOOK WEAVER DELUXE. Your daughter’s first step toward winning a Pulitzer Prize for literature. Here, she can create her own stories with pictures, words, music and sound effects, either from scratth or using one of approximately 40 “story starters.” (MECC; DOS/Windows/Macintosh, $46; ages 6 to 12.) THE AMAZING WRITING MACHINE CD-ROM.Your daughter’s second step toward that Pulitzer. Includes tools to help her think, write and publish, along with nine writing environments that will encourage her to explore writing through essays, letters, stories, journals. There are also 2,000 clip-art images and stamps,plusa full set of kid-friendly paint tools. (Broderbund; Windows and Mac CD-ROM,$45; ages 6 to 12.) Fun and educational A SILLY NOISY HOUSE. An excellent introduction to computers for the very youngofall sexes. By mouse-clicking any object as they explore a house, children will discover nursery rhymesor soundeffects. No that allows players to explore a virtual dream mall with many different types of stores, as well as design their own wardrobe for exotic world travel. After that will come the “Sweet Valley High” CD-ROM game, based onthe best-selling book series by Francine Pascal, as well as a CD-ROMreference guide for girls ages 11 to 18 that will present information on a range of topics, including sex, drugs, money and family. Joining the fray Nowthat HerInteractive has built the bandwagon, other companies are hitching rides. Cascade Pass (310-202-1468) is planning to release a multimedia version of its book “You Can Be a Woman Engineer,” thefirst in a series of science-career CD-ROMs geared toward the 5-to-12 crowd and featuring female role models with inspirational stories. Additionally, the popular “Babysitters Club” book series will be adapted into a three~-CD-ROM seriesthis fall by Phillips Media. Thefirst, “Babysitters Club Friendship Kit,” aimed atgirls ages 8 to 12, will include a stationery kit, a journal, money managementtips, gamesand an address book. Thetrend toward developing girl-friendly software is growing so quickly, even America’s largest toy companyis leaping into the fray. Mattel Inc.’s multimedia division will soon market a numberof gamesdirected squarelyat girls — starting with “Barbie Fashion Designer,” a program thatallowsgirls to design and make clothes for Barbie on their computers, and includes accessory kits with special fabric designed to work with printers. Also on the drawing board is a second Barbie game based on the Rapunzel fairy tale - wherein Barbie rescues the prince, instead of the traditionalplot line - along with CD-ROMs inspired by the company’s popular See-and-Say, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Polly Pocketlines. If you're still groaning over the fact that so many of these games are focused on fashion, shopping and other not-so-enlightened topics in an age when parentsare trying so hard to downplay gender differences ... well, you’re not alone. But the software-for-girls business isstill in its infant stages. Andif these games do nothing but entertain our daughters, educate them and increase their self-esteem, we have noreal reason to kvetch. Notyet, anyway. At the very worst, girls are finally being provided with the same opportunity as boys to get comfortable with the technology and have fun - and really, some might say, what else matters? reading required. (The Voyager Company; Mac and Windows CD-ROM,$20; ages 3 and up.) PEPPER’S ADVENTURES IN TIME.A girl named Peppertime-travels through American history and, with the combined help of your daughter and Ben Franklin, uncovers cool facts of the past. (Sierra On-line; Windows. CD-ROM, $30; ages 7 and up.) MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S DICTIONARYFORKIDS.This extensive, well-designed electronic dictionary provides the definitions of 20,000 words based on Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. It also includes five enjoyable word games, each with three levels ofdifficulty. (Mindscape; Windows CD-ROM, $49.95; ages 8 to 12.) THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS EXPLORES THE HUMAN BODY. Based on the books and PBSseries, this is the story of Ms. Frizzle (a science teacher) and her class, who take a miniature school bus ride into the human body,learning facts along the way. A fun program with plenty to do, extensive coverage of facts and engaging features. (Microsoft; Windows and Mac CD-ROM, $49.95; ages 6 to 10.) Fun and gore RISE OF THE TRIAD.The only reason we’re includingthis very bloody first-person shoot-’em-upseries is that, if they so desire, girls have just as much right as boys to kill, maim, slaughter and blow stuff up. This particular series of games (did we mention they’re very bloody?) are amongthe few of their type » that allow girls to role-play as female commandos.But.. . did we mention they’re very bloody? (Apogee; Windows CD-ROM,$30; ages 12 and up, depending on both parent and child.) |